{"id":1626,"date":"2017-10-20T07:00:03","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T12:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=1626"},"modified":"2017-10-19T12:47:56","modified_gmt":"2017-10-19T17:47:56","slug":"the-stakes-and-styles-of-christian-national-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2017\/10\/20\/the-stakes-and-styles-of-christian-national-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stakes and Styles of Christian National Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Gage Skidmore, Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Donald Trump was recently <\/span>the first sitting president to address the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/a>, where he referenced “attacks” on Judeo-Christian values. But what does this “Judeo-Christian” buzzword really mean? Social science research shows us that national identity is a style of political engagement that can change over time, but also that these cultural changes have real stakes for the way Americans think about their fellow citizens. While the U.S. is becoming an <\/span>increasingly racially and religiously diverse nation<\/span><\/a>, this demographic change comes up against the persistent cultural assumption that Americans share a distinct Christian identity and heritage. <\/span><\/p>\n

The meaning of “Judeo-Christian” has changed over time. Once referring to progressive political coalitions, it became a rallying cry that designated socially conservative positions in the “culture wars” of the 1980s and beyond. This case shows us how nationalism is a cultural <\/span>style<\/span><\/i> comprised of different beliefs and identities. This means that political leaders and everyday citizens can draw on different styles of nationalism. <\/span><\/h5>\n